Users
Key Links
Maldives
Table of contents
| Maldives | |
 | |
| This page is part of the Small Island Developing States Project | |
| Capital | Male |
| Population | 400,000 |
| Land Area | 300 sq km |
| GDP (US$) | $1.26 B |
| GDP Per Capita | $5,000 |
| CO2 Emissions | 0.7 megatons |
| CO2 Per Capita | 2.4 tons |
| NAPA† | March 2008 |
| Natl. Comm. to the UNFCCC | November 2001 |
| † = National Adaptation Program of Action Megaton = 1 million tons (1 billion kg / 2.205 billion lb) | |
The Republic of the Maldives is an archipelago of around twenty five low-lying coral atolls located in the Indian Ocean, south-west of India and Sri Lanka.1 It is classified as a small island developing state (SIDS). The country contributes only 0.001% of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, being a fragile low lying small island ecosystem, it is among the most susceptible countries to climate change.2 Sea-level rise is likely to damage fishing and tourism so seriously that the GDP could be reduced by more than 40%.3 In addition, since 80% of the islands in the Maldives are no more than 1 meter above sea level, the country could well become uninhabitable before the end of this century, forcing inhabitants to evacuate.4 The Maldives' survival as a sovereign nation is thus at stake.5
Not surprisingly, the Maldives is an active participant in the international negotiations on climate change. It was the first country to sign the Kyoto Protocol under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).6 It was also one of the countries that put efforts into raising awareness of the human dimension of climate change during the 2007 UNFCCC Conference of the Parties in Bali. The efforts led to the adoption of the United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution 7/23 on "Human Rights and Climate Change" which, for the first time in an official UN document, states explicitly that climate change has implications for the full enjoyment of human rights.7
Background
With a land area of less than 300 square km (116 sq miles), the Maldives is the sixth smallest sovereign state worldwide in terms of land. The country consists of around 1190 tropical islands. Ninety-six percent of the islands are less than 1 sq km (0.4 sq miles) in area, and only 10 islands are more than 2.5 sq km (1.0 sq miles). Gan, at 6 km (3.7 miles) in length, is the largest island in the Maldives. Some 200 islands are inhabited, and around 90 islands are used as tourist resorts.8 The total coastline of the Maldives is 644 km (400 miles) long. The country is generally flat, with its highest point at only 2.4 m (7.9 ft).
View Small Island Developing States in a larger map
The highest point of Maldives is only 2.4 m (7.9 ft).
The coral islands that make up the Maldives are morphologically unstable and change their size, shape, elevation and position on reef platforms over time. The beaches of the islands, representing 5% of the land area of the Maldives, are particularly dynamic and unstable, and change substantially through the seasons. On the inhibited islands the erosion patterns are complicated due to human interventions.9 The coral reef ecosystem is the seventh largest in the world and is among the richest in the world in terms of species diversity and aesthetic appeal. The reefs host over 1,900 species of fish, 187 coral species, 350 crustaceans, 9 species of whales, 15 to 20 species of sharks, 7 species of dolphins, and 5 species of turtles. The reefs include two of the largest natural atolls in the world, Thiladhunmathi Atoll and Huvadhoo Atoll. Apart from their biodiversity value, the coral reefs have value as a natural sea defense protecting the islands.10
The Maldives has a hot and humid monsoon climate. From November to March there is a southeast monsoon, while from June to August the monsoon is southwest.11 The mean daily maximum temperature is 30.4 °C (86.7 °F) and the mean daily minimum temperature is 25.7 °C (78.3). Humidity ranges from 73 to 85%. The annual average rainfall for Maldives is 2.1 meters.12 Natural disasters with severe impacts are relatively rare in the Maldives. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami killed 82 and displaced 15,000 people in the Maldives.13
The country has a population of almost 400,000 (2009)14 , including 80,000 migrants from Bangladesh and other South Asian countries.15 Although the inhabitants have different ethnic backgrounds, the population is considered to be culturally homogeneous, with Islam as the dominant religion and Diveh as the common language.16 The population has increased four-fold since 1911 and overcrowding is a significant problem. Many of the inhabited islands do not have land available for new housing, and other islands are likely to reach their carrying capacity in the near future. Around the country, land reclamation work has been carried out to alleviate population pressure.17
The Republic of the Maldives has been independent since 1965, and the first democratic elections took place in 2008. The government is based in Male, and the president is elected by direct vote for a five-year term. The legal system is based on Islamic law with elements of English common law.18
With a 2008 gross domestic product (GDP) of $1.26 billion and a per capita GDP of $5,000, the Maldives is one of the richest countries in South Asia.19 However, the difference in income levels between a small rich minority and the poor majority is large.20 Tourism is the main economic activity and contributes about one third of the GDP. An estimated 500,000 tourists per year visit the country to enjoy the beaches and explore the coral reefs.21 Over 90% of government tax revenue comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes.22 Fisheries, which contributes 7% of GDP, is second largest economic sector and the largest contributor to exports. Agriculture plays a minor role in the economy, due to the countries small population and limited endowments of land.23 Most staple foods are imported.24
Like other small island states, the Maldives faces severe environmental risks that threaten to undermine its economic achievements. While tourism is the main source of income, the industry produces vast quantities of solid waste, which pose a substantial and visible risk to the country’s reputation as an unspoiled tropical “paradise”. Rising population densities in the country and changing consumption patterns also contribute to the amount of solid waste, and cause increased pollution from sewage and other effluents.25 Other environmental issues include depletion of freshwater aquifers threatening water supplies and coral reef bleaching.26
Impacts and threats
Predictions by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in combination with research specifically on the Maldives indicate that climate change will affect the Maldives dramatically. The annual maximum daily temperature in the Maldives is projected to increase by around 1.5 °C by 2100. A maximum temperature of 33.5 °C, which is currently a 20-year event, is likely to become a three-year event by 2025. In addition, an increased sea surface temperature has already been observed in the Maldives.27 The sea level is already rising, and is expected to keep rising at a faster rate than the global average. Future sea levels are projected to rise within the range of 10 to 100 centimeters by the year 2100. In the worst-case scenario, this would mean that the entire country would be submerged.28 Even in medium predictions, sea level rise would cause regular tidal inundations in most islands; most of the medium and small islands would inundate completely during storm surges.29
After an eight-day visit to country in early 2009, the UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing said that “Maldives and its Atolls, because of their unique geological and topographic aspects and their fragile and delicate environmental system, are already experiencing the impacts of climate change.” She indicated that: "This jeopardizes the survival of the nation, which could be inundated by water, but more immediately, it jeopardizes the right to housing due to the scarcity of land."30 The amount of coastal erosion is increasing, and communities are being relocated because of risks of inundation of their lands . The situation is further complicated by the fact that current housing designs, structures and materials are not adapted to flooding.31 In Kandholhudhoo, a densely-populated island in the north of the Maldives, 60% of residents have volunteered to evacuate over the next 15 years. The rest of the population on the island will likely do the same in the near future, as land and houses are inundating on a regular basis.32
Frost over the World - Maldives
Credit: YouTube/Frost Over the World, Feb 27, 2009 (Al Jazeera English).
Apart from erosion and inundation of land, sea level rise is likely to affect the coral reefs, as will increases in sea surface temperature. Higher ocean temperatures increase the rate of coral bleaching and increase the risk of massive coral die-off during the local ocean temperature spikes that occur during El Niño events (the severe 1998 El Niño raised sea surface temperatures around the Maldives by as much as 5°C).33 As the corals serve as natural breakwaters, loss of corals means decreased protection from waves and currents, and an increase of beach erosion and inundation.34 In addition, bleaching of corals is likely to affect tourism, as the country would be less attractive to divers. Since tourism is by far the country's largest economic sector, this would have serious consequences for the welfare of the country.
Fisheries, the second largest economic sector in the country, are likely to suffer significantly from increases in ocean temperature and coral bleaching. The tuna fishery is likely to be severely stressed, both as a result of changes in migration patterns and in availability of the bait fish. The exact impacts, however, are uncertain.35
Climate change is also likely to affect availability of safe drinking water and irrigation water. Because of the hydrogeology of the country, groundwater and surface freshwater are scarce and over-stressed resources. Drinking water shortages during dry periods form a challenge for the population even at present, and water shortages were reported by 30% of the population in 2004. Longer dry periods could lead to a total depletion of freshwater aquifiers.36 In addition, sea level rise increases the threat of storm over wash of the islands, causing increased saltwater contamination of the freshwater resources.37
Rising sea levels and temperatures in the Maldives will likely lead to increased of incidences of water- and vector-borne diseases. There is evidence that dengue outbreaks are already becoming more frequent.38 Public health will be further impacted by changes to fisheries and agriculture, threatening food security.39
Mitigation and adaptation strategies
With hundreds on tiny islands spread out over large distances, it is virtually impossible for the Maldives to prepare for and adapt all of its islands to oncoming climate change. Sea level rise is of particular concern because of likely inundation of many of the islands. This fear has forced the government to explore the option of migrating the entire population to another country.
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea, native to the Maldives
Source: GNU Free Documentation. Permission: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 license.Mitigation
In March 2008 the government of the Maldives announced its goal to become the first carbon neutral country in the world, and plans to do so by 2020. In order to reach this status the country will replace all fossil fuels with renewable energy within the next ten years.40 Planned sources of renewable energy include 150 wind turbines, several hundred thousand square meters of photovoltaic panels, and a power plant that burns coconut husks. In addition, the governments aims to replace all fossil-fuel-powered vehicles and boats over time with electric models.41
Adaptation
Implementing adaptation measures against climate change impacts in the Maldives is expensive and difficult, due to the countries many low-lying atoll islands and the very long coastline. The government has in recent years implemented several adaptation projects. One major project was the construction of a 3 meter-high wall around Male, the country's capital. The project took 14 years to complete and was financed by the government of Japan at a cost of $63 million. The wall offers protection for just one of the Maldives' many inhabited islands - and then more against tidal surges than against actual the rising sea levels.42
The Maldives submitted its latest National Action Plan for Adaptation to the UNFCCC in 2007. The plan includes a great number of priorities related to 8 priority project profiles:
- land, beach and human settlement
- critical infrastructure
- tourism and fisheries
- human health
- water resources
- agriculture and food security
- coral reef biodiversity
The NAPA is being implemented in the broader context of Vision 2020 - a plan which provides the direction for sustainable development and is the basis for the national development policies.43 The overall implementation of the NAPA is overseen by the National Commission for Protection of the Environment (NCPE). In addition, a special inter-agency task force is in place to ensure that government agencies mobilize international financial assistance and allocate public financing to the NAPA priority project profiles.44
Since the end of 2008 the country has diverted a portion of the country's billion-dollar annual tourist revenue into 'buying a new homeland'. Various locations for the new land are being considered. In an interview with the BBC, President Mohamed Nasheed indicated that he considered Sri Lanka and India as good options, as they have similar cultures, cuisines and climates. Australia was also being considered because of the amount of unoccupied land available.45
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Wiki Project | |
| Small Island Developing States | |
| Click here for the template to begin a new country page | |
| Atlantic and Caribbean | Anguilla; Antigua and Barbuda; Aruba; the Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; British Virgin Islands; Cape Verde; Cuba; Dominica; the Dominican Republic; Grenada; Guinea-Bissau; Guyana; Haiti; Jamaica; Montserrat; Netherlands Antilles; Puerto Rico; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; São Tomé and Principe; Suriname; Trinidad and Tobago; and the U.S. Virgin Islands. |
| Pacific Ocean | American Somoa; Commonwealth of Northern Marianas; Cook Islands; Federated States of Micronesia; Fiji; French Polynesia; Guam; Kiribati; Marshall Islands; Nauru; New Caledonia; Niue; Palau; Papua New Guinea; Samoa; Solomon Islands; Timor-Lesté; Tonga; Tuvalu; and Vanuatu. |
| Indian Ocean | Bahrain; Comoros; the Maldives; Mauritius; the Seychelles; and Singapore. |
| Initiatives and Sponsors | |
| Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS); Asian Development Bank (ADB); Barbados Programme of Action (BPoA); Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC); Global Environment Facility (GEF); Global Sustainable Energy Islands Initiative (GSEII); Inter-American Development Bank (IADB); Organization of American States (OAS); Pacific Islands Forum (PIF); Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre (RC/RCCC); Small Island Developing States Network (SIDSNet); South Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP); United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); United States Agency for International Development (USAID); World Bank (WB) | |
| Related Topics | |
Footnotes
1. International Development Association. Project Appraisal Document. Maldives Environmental Management Project. May 2008. p.7
2. UNEP Regional Resource Center in Asia and the Pacific. Maldives: State of the Environment 2002. Part III: Key Environmental Issues. 2002.
3. IPCC. 4th Assessment Report. Working Group 2. Chapter 16: Small Islands. p. 709
4. CIA. The World Factbook. Maldives. Retrieved on: 7 June 2009.
5. Nick Bryant. Maldives: Paradise soon to be lost. BBC News. 28 July 2004
6. Republic of Maldives. National Adaptation Program of Action. 2007.
7. Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Maldives to the United Nations Office at Geneva. Human Rights and Climate Change. 2008. Retrieved on: 11 June 2009.
8. International Development Association. Project Appraisal Document. Maldives Environmental Management Project. May 2008. p. 7.
9. Republic of Maldives. National Adaptation Program of Action. 2007. pp. 19-21.
10. Republic of Maldives. National Adaptation Program of Action. 2007. p. 38.
11. CIA. The World Factbook. Maldives. Retrieved on: 7 June 2009.
12. Republic of Maldives. National Adaptation Program of Action. 2007. p.7.
13. Republic of Maldives. Natural Disaster Management Centre. Historical Record of Natural Disasters in the Maldives. 2007. Retrieved on: 11 June 2009.
14. CIA. The World Factbook. Maldives. Retrieved on: 7 June 2009.
15. Maldives: climate change threatens right to housing, says UN expert. UN News Centre. 26 Feb 2009.
16. Maldives Ethnography.com Retrieved on: 11 June 2009.
17. Republic of Maldives. National Adaptation Program of Action. 2007. p.22
18. CIA. The World Factbook. Maldives. Retrieved on: 7 June 2009.
19. CIA. The World Factbook. Maldives. Retrieved on: 7 June 2009.
20. Randeep Ramesh. Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy a new homeland. The Guardian. 10 Nov 2008.
21. International Development Association. Project Appraisal Document. Maldives Environmental Management Project. May 2008. p. 7
22. CIA. The World Factbook. Maldives. Retrieved on: 7 June 2009.
23. Republic of Maldives. National Adaptation Program of Action. 2007. p. 10.
24. CIA. The World Factbook. Maldives. Retrieved on: 7 June 2009.
25. International Development Association. Project Appraisal Document. Maldives Environmental Management Project. May 2008. p. 7
26. CIA. The World Factbook. Maldives. Retrieved on: 7 June 2009.
27. Republic of Maldives. National Adaptation Program of Action. 2007. p.14-15.
28. International Development Association. Project Appraisal Document. Maldives Environmental Management Project. May 2008. p. 8.
29. Republic of Maldives. National Adaptation Program of Action. 2007. p.17.
30. Maldives: climate change threatens right to housing, says UN expert. UN News Centre. 26 Feb 2009.
31. Republic of Maldives. National Adaptation Program of Action. 2007. pp. 19-20
32. Nick Bryant. Maldives: Paradise soon to be lost. BBC News. 28 July 2004.
33. Jonathan Faull. Little boy causes coral apocalypse. Minivan News. 16 July 2009. Retrieved on: 21 July 2009.
34. UNEP Regional Resource Center in Asia and the Pacific. Maldives: State of the Environment 2002. Part III: Key Environmental Issues. 2002. p.31.
35. Olivia Lang. Heightened Fears for Lowering Lands. BBC News. 12 January 2009.
36. Republic of Maldives. National Adaptation Program of Action. 2007. p. 33.
37. UNEP Regional Resource Center in Asia and the Pacific. Maldives: State of the Environment 2002. Part III: Key Environmental Issues. 2002.
38. Republic of Maldives. National Adaptation Program of Action. 2007. p. 31-33.
39. Republic of Maldives. National Adaptation Program of Action. 2007. p. 31-33.
40. Mohamed Nasheed. Why we are opting out of this pact with the devil. The Observer. 15 March 2009.
41. James Kanter. Could Small Nations Like the Maldives Lead in Renewable Energy? New York Times Green Inc Blog. 16 March 2009.
42. Nick Bryant. Maldives: Paradise soon to be lost. BBC News. 28 July 2004.
43. Republic of Maldives. National Adaptation Program of Action. 2007. p. 10.
44. Republic of Maldives. National Adaptation Program of Action. 2007. p. 46.
45. Randeep Ramesh. Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy a new homeland. The Guardian. 10 Nov 2008.
- Tags
- What links here
Images 2
Except where otherwise noted, text content on Climate Lab is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike license.
Powered by MindTouch Enterprise 2009. Web design and technology customizations by Open Organize.